Born in Tehran on 16 October 1928,[4] he was the son of General Fazlollah Zahedi, who served as prime minister after participating in the CIA-led coup which led to the fall of Mohammed Mosaddegh, and his wife Khadijeh Pirnia.

Seven years later, he married the eldest daughter of the Shah of Iran and granddaughter of the King of Egypt, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi; the marriage ended in divorce in 1964.

[8] During the 1977 Hanafi Siege of a federal building in Washington, Zahedi and two other ambassadors from Muslim nations were able to talk the hostage-takers into surrendering and releasing 149 hostages.

Over the course of 1978, it was reported in some circles that Zahedi urged the Shah to appease the rioters by making scapegoats of several high-ranking officials, including Amir Abbas Hoveida (then Prime Minister) and SAVAK director Nematollah Nassiri.

He started fervent attempts at securing political asylum for the ailing Shah and the Imperial family in Panama, Mexico, Morocco and finally Egypt.